Measuring device for looms



Dec. 6, 1938. w TlLToN 2,139,610

MEASURING DEVICE FOR LOOMS I Filed Jan. 20, 1938 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mwizz I ATTO R N EYS W. A. TILTON 1 MEASURING DEVICE FOR LOOMS Dec, 6, 1938.

2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Jan. 20, 195

ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a measuring device for looms and has for an object to provide a mechanical means for measuring duplicate lengths of woven cloth or other material.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art each cut or length is ordinarily measured manually, that is, is measured by an operator who is called by the weaver at the time he guesses the material is nearing the finish. Time is lost by the weaver and production decreased by this conventional manual measuring and frequently the material is over-run due to miscalculation in measuring manually, and this necessitates reprocessing of removed filling.

With the above in mind the present invention provides a device adapted to be driven from the loom sand roll or take up roll, the device including essentially a loose worm drum clutched to, a driven shaft, a traveler on the worm drum, and a stop rotating as a unit with the worm adapted to be struck by the traveler to stop rotation of the worm thus furnishing visible indication to the weaver that the pattern or length of material being directed in the weaving is finished.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a measuring device constructed in accordance with the invention in applied position to be driven by a sand roll of a loom.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the measuring device.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view showing the worm drum clutched to the driving worm gear.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 2 showing the traveler.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional View taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, l0 designates a conventional loom. The measuring device comprises a reversible bracket ll, best shown in Figure 2, which is secured to a pedestal I2 adapted to be disposed on the floor adjacent to the sand roll l3 of the loom. The reversible bracket permits of the device being applied to either a right or a left hand loom.

A shaft I4 is journaled in the bracket and is driven by a worm gear l5 best shown in Figure 3, which meshes with a worm l6 fixed to a shaft I! having fixed thereto a spur gear l8, which, as best shown in Figure '1, is driven by a spur gear l9 mounted on the shaft of the sand roll.

A worm drum 20 is loosely mounted on the shaft l4 and a rubber friction clutch ring 2! is mounted on the shaft between one end of the worm drum and the worm gear IS. The worm drum is adapted to be moved longitudinally of the shaft to engage the rubber clutch ring and be driven thereby. For this purpose a stationary clutch member 22 is mounted on the opposite end of the shaft from the ring and coacts with a loose clutch member 23, both clutch members having respective cam projections 24 and 25 adapted to interdigitate, as shown in Figure 2, to declutch the worm drum and adapted to oppose each other, as best shown in Figure 3, to clutch the worm drum to the driving shaft I 4.

A starting post 26 is fixed to the worm drum near the rubber clutch ring and the purpose of this post is to coact with the traveler 21 in supplying a starting point from which the traveler will move upon the worm drum.

As best shown in Figure 5 the traveler 21 is formed of a substantially rectangular strap of metal which engages the thread of the worm drum at four points. A pin 28 projects from one side of the traveler and is adapted to be placed in engagement with the starting post at the beginning of the cut or pattern of material to be measured. The traveler is provided with a downwardly extending lug 29 which projects into a guide groove 30 formed in a guide plate which is secured to the bracket ll below the worm drum. When the drum is rotated the traveler is moved from its starting point longitudinally of the drum.

For stopping rotation of the drum and thus furnishing a visible indication that the cut or pattern of material is finished a collar 3| is adjustably mounted upon the drum by a set screw 32. The collar is provided with a pin 33 which is adapted to be engaged by a pin 34 which projects from the traveler. When the traveler pin 34 engages the pin 33 of the collar the drum will cease rotating and when this occurs by noting that the drum has stopped rotating the weaver receives notification that the cut or pattern is finished.

In operation when starting the first length of material to be woven, the clutch member 23 is turned until the cam projections interdigitate as shown in Figure 2 to declutch the drum from the driving shaft. The worm drum is now manually rotated in a retrograde direction to feed the traveler to the initial end of the drum until the traveler pin 28 comes to rest against the starting post 26. The clutch member 23 is now turned back to engage the cam projections 24 and 25 as shown in Figure 3 to cam the drum into frictional engagement with the rubber clutch ring for driving by the ring.

During the weaving of the material the drum feeds the traveler forwardly toward the collar 31;, the worm being manually declutched from the shaft at the moment the traveler engages the collar after a predetermined measured length of material has been finished. Adjustment of the collar by loosening the set screw 32 may be made so that the traveler will travel through any desired time period corresponding with different lengths or patterns of the material to be woven.

It will be further explained that prior to engagement of the pins 33 and 34v all of the parts, including the shaft l4, clutch member 22, clutch member 23, worm drum 20, rubber disc 2|, and gear I 5, rotate as a unit. Engagement of the pins 33 and 34 gives visible warning to the weaver that the finish of the material is at hand and that he must disengage the clutch members and reset the measuring device.

The clutch members 22 and 23 automatically declutch the device upon engagement of the pins 33 and 34 if the weaver himself does not declutch the device, as a precautionary measure to prevent unnecessary wear of the friction ring 2| which wear would be caused after meeting of the said pins as the worm drum would be slipping constantly from that point on. The movement of the clutch members 22 and 23, for each foot of material woven, is so slight that two or threefeet of material will be woven before any declutching action takes place. The clutch members 22 and 23 declutch only after the meeting of the pins, The measuring device is placed in operative, position at either end of a loom at whichever end the weaver operates so as to be immediately before him and thus no difliculty should be experienced by him in noting when a stopping point is reached.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

1. A measuring device for looms comprising a supporting bracket, a shaft journaled on the bracket, a worm gear fixed to the shaft, a worm adapted to be driven by the loom and meshing with the worm gear, a worm drum loosely mounted on the shaft, a rubber washer mounted on the shaft between one end of the Worm drum and Worm gealga clutch connected with the shaft and with the other end of the worm drum and forming means by which the drum may be moved axially of the shaft into or to be freed from, driving engagement with the washer and therethrough the worm gear, a starting post fixed to the worm drum, a collar mounted upon the Worm drum for adjustment axially therealong, a traveler mounted on the worm drum between the starting. post and the collar and engaging the worm drum to be fed therealong as the drum is rotated; an arm on the traveler, and a stationary guide parallel to the axis of the drum and slidably receiving the arm during movement of the 7 traveler longitudinally of. the worm drum.

2 A measuring device for looms comprising a reversible supporting bracket, a shaft journaled on the bracket, a worm gear fixed to the shaft, a Worm adapted to be driven by the loom and meshing, with the worm gear, a worm drum loosely mounted upon the shaft, a rubber washer mounted on the shaft between one end of the worm drum andthe worm gear, a clutch connected With the shaft and with the other end of the worm drum and providing means by which the drum may be moved axially of the shaft into or to be freed from, driving engagement with the washer and therethrough by the worm gear, a starting post fixed to, the worm drum, a collar mounted on the Worm drum for axial adjustment therealong, a pin, carried, by the collar, a traveler mounted upon the worm drum between the starting post, and the collar and engaging the Worm drum to be fed therealong as the drum is located, apin carried by the traveler cooperating with said post and with the first named pin for limiting movement of the traveler, an arm carried by the traveler, and a stationary guide member disposed parallel, to, the axis of the drum on said bracket slidably receiving said arm during movement of the traveler on the worm drum.

WILLIAM A. TILTON. 

